VMware exiting 2014 with a bang and a security whimper

AirWatch p0wned, but vRealize and CloudVolumes realized and DevOps embraced

The productive bits of 2014 may be ebbing away fast, but VMware's not slowing down: the company's shoved a few notables out the door in recent days.

The most urgent is a fix for a bug in the on-premises version of the mobile device management suite AirWatch. As Virtzilla 'fesses up, “These issues may allow a user that manages an AirWatch deployment in a multi-tenant environment to view the organizational information and statistics of another tenant.”

The fix is in, in a good way, at the link above.

Also this week, Virtzilla issued its new vRealize hybrid cloud management suite. This is of course the re-badged vCenter Operations Management Suite and vCloud Automation Center, now gussied up with an aspirational and all-action name. All the tools are now at version 6.0, save for VMware vRealize Automation 6.2 (aka vCloud Automation Center) and vRealize Log Insight 2.5 which is a mere 0.5 upgrade for vCenter Log Insight.

DevOps happy

There's also a new tool called vRealize Code Stream that Virtzilla says is all about making it easier to do frequent software releases inside a VMware environment.

VMware's very keen on DevOps at the moment. Having promised Docker and Kubernetes integration back at VMworld USA and Europe, it's delivered on both and added support for installation of Mesosphere under vSphere.

As explained to The Reg by VMware Australia's Aaron Steppat, the combined effect of these efforts is aimed at giving IT shops the tools they need to convince DevOps types that they can happily go about their business inside a VMware-tended environment. As ever, VMware's thinking about highly-regulated industries that aren't keen on anything happening without IT department oversight, while also trying to make sure that such organisations don't deprive themselves of cool new toys.

Mesosphere support gives that ambition a boost because VMware already supports containers (Docker) and container orchestration (Kubernetes). Mesosphere is designed to be an environment in which one deploys Docker and Kubernetes, so supporting it means vSphere can now embrace three layers of a containerised app.

Another noteworthy release from the last seven days vApp Volumes, formerly known as CloudVolumes. This looks like more than a rebadging, as VMware says the tool now includes “support for RDSH published desktops and applications, Citrix XenDesktop and XenApp, non-persistent physical devices, improved personalized user environment options and greatly improved and expanded support for Microsoft Office.”

vApp Volumes looks significant: VMware's outlined ”Project Fargo” to put it at the centre of a new way to deliver desktop virtualisation and containerised desktop apps.

The Reg's virtualisation desk expects Project Fargo to make waves in 2015, when we'll also be treated to vSphere 6.0 and more services in vCloud Air. We've also been told by folks in a position to know that VMware's deep in discussions with another major cloud player for an alliance that will make vCloud Air a more powerful proposition

It'll need to be because 2015 will see the emergence of a new version of Windows Server and Microsoft is clearly very keen on turning it into a hybrid cloud wrangler par excellence.

And on top of those likely occurrences, there's the threat of activist investor Elliott Management succeeding in its quest to dissociate VMware from the EMC Federation.

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